Flossie Peitsch -Art and Soul Blog

Week 10, Day 063 RECOVERING THE ASHES

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:43:44 +0000

I finished my latest art installation. I partially recycled my ‘used installation’ ALL FIRED UP’ as the base and worked a new level of interest and meaning. This piece prompting many levels of interpretation, was mostly inspired by the story told by one of my friends about how her father miraculously survived last year’s Victorian bushfires – loosing everything but his life and grateful for even that – then, returning to where his home had stood retrieved the buried ashes of his long ago deceased wife. It’s a story containing irony, pathos his special humor. Look at the images. I documented the package ready to travel the AGNSW. Surprisingly, it looks to me like a body bag itself! Perhaps it has more chance of being exhibited at the AGNSW – left wrapped! It would befit my current artistic sentiment, too.

Week 10, Day 062 17th Biennale of Sydney –Marcus Coates

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:42:06 +0000

Today I went a talk at the Wollongong City Gallery by Dr Dougal Philips representing the 17^th Biennale of Sydney. I am here for this year’s plethora of international and Australian art at 12 locations in the Sydney CBD. Amazing! It will be like Germany’s ‘Documenta 12’ which I attended. Perhaps I will do performance here too. Speaking of which…there seems to be a lot of performance as part of the art offerings this year – a resurge, no doubt. Good fodder for my article for Art Monthly which I should be researching now.

One of the artists, Marcus Coates, is described as a ‘Radio Shaman’. His performance includes wearing the actual real ‘head’ of a dead animal and striking up conversation to consider human response to the animal’s situation. He finds this leads into attitudes people are otherwise out of ouch with….

This gives me a performance idea using my dog’s recent experience….might have to think about it but I am not saying here…

Related Website: frieze

Week 10, Day 061 Women’s Work

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:40:31 +0000

I visited an exhibition called Women’s Work at Project: Wollongong’s Contemporary Artspace. It represented the work of numerous local women artists publicized by Sue Bessell. I liked the double meaning suggested by the title. Interestingly, the ‘domestic domain’ was omitted almost entirely. I would be the last person to expect women have the corner on this topic but neither do many women get away without some sort of response to this important ‘internal area’ – especially women artists! I certainly struggle with being and artist and being a homemaker. Am I alone in this?

Libby Bloxham set a very high standard with her intuitive recycled sculptures

Week 9, Day 058 An Apron a Day

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:39:24 +0000

I have the idea to write a few sentences on each of the 14 handcrafted aprons in HANDMADE. They were crafted by keen and skilled friends who have skills which I lack. The Aprons highlight the importance of often traditionally ‘women’s work’. These skills often are downplayed as time-fillers or home craft and not valued for the beauty and creativity they express.

By the Way, Whoever thought that aprons are not ‘NOW’. Look at this website…

Week 9, day 057 (Mis)Understood?

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:05:03 +0000

Hello Flossie,

Anon ‘ Clever, but not my style of art. Lovely visually.’ 26/2

Cheers Jill

Hi Jill,

Though there is good with bad in many of these comments, it is already getting rather depressing for me, as you can imagine. It is possible for you to also think of and send a few ‘inquiring questions’ that I can get my teeth into? For example, ‘Could you please tell me how you came to the idea behind Holy Safety Net?’ There is so much more to art than what a person likes or dislikes. Many artists explore meaningful topics…like spirituality…in a wide range of styles. Can we talk about the essence of the work, instead of effects? See John Garrett Book Publisher’s ‘Soul Journey’.

I do appreciate your input and I know this is not really your responsibility but I had wanted the Blog to extend the exhibition discussion, not to give space generally to critical, that is good or bad, comments – especially ‘anonymous’ ones (see one of my previous BBBBlogs). I already know that many will find this work challenging. These views should not be reinforced on the Blog unless the authors want to learn something more from the work. I wish to move beyond first impressions for those who are interested.

Many thanks for your help in all of this,

Flossie

Week 9, Day 057

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:38:44 +0000

Someone told me they were asked point blank, ‘What do you want to happen after you die?’ It was not their minister, or a friend who inquired so personally, but their Financial Advisor! Makes sense, of course, but why do the rest of us shy away from discussing questions like these – even with our closest friends or parents for that matter?

Gives room for consideration…

Week 9, Day 056

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:35:41 +0000

Hello Flossie,

We have one comment for you from one of our volunteers who made the comment that the exhibitor was

‘…..quite good as it relates to family & life, the ordinary living people.’

Kay noted that one person spent at least a half an hour looking at the exhibition while another basically walked in and walked out.

Cheers Jill

Week 9, Day 055

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:33:55 +0000

Talk about bed, breakfast and belief……. Jean and Erwin, welcomed us with many years of a home away from home at their place in Kybunga and Clare. As for countless others, they took us in thirty-five years ago when we had ‘nothing and no one’, as new immigrants to Australia. Now Aunt Jean came to visit us from S.A. It has been three years since we have been together. We talked of old times and looked at old photos.

Still, I wonder if we are more than just ‘people who needed support’ to them. They were ever so, so much more to us……our adopted Australian parents. Thank you, always.

Week9, Day 052 BBBBLOG IT!

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:09:15 +0000

Week 9, Day 052 BBBBlog it!

Hello Flossie,

In reference to your work Handmade and the comment that the past can conceal a future bias – Is this to be understood as meaning that once one has taken up the domestic identity and ‘adorned the apron’ then one is always connected to that past and decisions will be coloured through the domestic identity? or could you perhaps mean that the apron has figured in both a positive nurturing light in addition to the domestic drudge that some see as a product of womanhood?

I am interested in the inspiration behind the work, so please explain.

Cheers Jill

I like both your interpretations of this assertion! I hadn’t thought of either idea specifically when I wrote what I did but yours make just as good sense to me!

I can only add this additional thought…by putting on the metaphorical ‘apron’ of our cultural heritage (as in doing ‘the correct thing for a particular reason’) we show others what we are made of, that is, our outlook learned from childhood. This is not something we can hide, it is out there being seen by others. But at the same time as we ‘put on’ our behaviour, we cover up part of ourselves. This private side, under the ‘apron’ dictates attitudes and actions we may not realize that we have learned from home. Some people do not look behind their cultural upbringing – for better or worse. In this way the aprons are not gender or domestically based but are used as a metaphor for the workings of society.

Image: Handcrafted aprons

Caption: HANDMADE, 2005, 15 hand crafted, Victorian aprons (Detail)

Women’s work often goes unnoticed but it joins the generations with a specific lettering of culture. Wearing one’s history – like putting on an apron – is easier and harder than may be realized. But the past can conceal a future bias.

Week 8, Day 050 BOOKSHELF

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:34:48 +0000

Hello Flossie,

We didn’t receive any comments today however I have a question for you. In the small gallery there is an arrangement of ’books’ placed on plinths. Is there any significance in the way they are arranged, or is the choice of placement purely as a way of presentation? Cheers Jill

Hi Jill,

The eight artist’s books displayed as BOOKSHELF have many pages – some are transparent, some are collaged, some are hand drawn, etc. They are peculiar books because they are joined in a way that does not allow all the pages to turn of even be opened. These stand in a closed square as a metaphor to people who have some public areas and some private areas of their lives. When we know people it is rare to know everything about them…even if they are family. So, the arrangement of the eight books is both planned and haphazard, as is our ‘familiarity’ with others.

What would a book about your life show? Would it be words or pictures? English or other? Would it open completely or remain closed and private? What of you and your life will remain ‘on the shelf’ for future generations?